A YOUNG man from Clacton is about to embark on his first half marathon to raise funds for a military charity.

Tyler St George will run the Clacton half marathon on Sunday in a bid to raise £1,000 in aid of Help for Heroes.

He was inspired to raise money by his own personal experiences having started his 14-weeks basic training in the Army before being medically discharged.

Tyler said: “I am a young man with autism and ADHD. I also have a cyst on the brain which means I overheat easily and it affects other things too.

“I will however do my very best to take part and even if I am not able to run the whole way I will not give up.

“I will finish my race even if I have to speed walk”.

The 22-year-old describes his condition as a small blip in his life and encouraged those with similar symptoms to try different experiences.

“People with disabilities can do anything if they put their minds to it. I have been inspired by stories about soldiers; many have physical disabilities, but to some it is just a minor difficulty.

“I want to carry out tasks that will help our brave men and women in the military. They deserve the care and support that they receive”.

Tyler will set off with other runners along Clacton seafront on Sunday.

A spokesperson at Help for Heroes said: “We are so grateful to all our fundraisers. With seven people a day being medically discharged from the military Help for Heroes still has a big role to play in supporting our wounded, injured and sick veterans.

“We believe that those who put their lives second deserve a second chance at life.

“Our specialist teams here at Colchester Recovery Centre create the conditions for our heroes and their families to recover and move forward with their lives.”

If you would like to sponsor Tyler, go to justgiving.com/fundraising/Tyler-St-George3.